Arsenal: Mikel Arteta reveals shock sabotage tactics to prepare stars for title defence

Arteta is known for being extremely regimented with his routine ahead of matches and those plans were disrupted on Tuesday night.

However, the Arsenal manager explained how he saw that as an opportunity for his players to adapt to the unusual circumstances.

"I love those challenges," Arteta said. "I try to create them in pre-season, so when they happen, we already experience them and we already know.

“Get to the stadium very late, change the routine as soon as the players have to do something else.

Agent of chaos: Mikel Arteta does not want his Arsenal players getting too comfortable

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"Because when it happens, and it can happen - you can miss the flight, the train can be delayed, there's so much traffic. I don't want the players, but not only the players, the staff as well, panicking.

"When that happens, adapt to it. Okay, we have another two or three hours on the plane, how can we use them?

"Play together, spend some time together, sleep, use it, but certainly don't complain and then use it as an excuse because that's not helpful at all."

Those preparations involved Arteta deliberately sabotaging the routine of his players throughout pre-season.

Arsenal did not go on a big summer tour as they usually do, instead travelling only to Girona and Dublin, but that did not stop Arteta from finding opportunities to test his squad in new ways.

"Delaying the meals, delaying the transport, taking a different route," Arteta revealed.

"We've done many things. Made the dressing room hotter, more difficult, more challenging, less [massage] beds.

"Those kind of things, because we're going to have to adapt to different contexts. We'll try to anticipate it and create the best possible conditions.

"When there is not that element of surprise or stress on matchday, I think it's important."